oinochoe

This is no ordinary jug. A Byzantine oinochoe, a wine vessel, assembled from the rarest of materials: an ostrich egg forms the body, its surface carved with a menagerie of beasts separated by palmettes, interwoven arches, and lotus flowers. The work is delicate, the imagery a fusion of classical and eastern motifs typical of the cosmopolitan court art of the period. The spout and handle are carved from ivory, gilded with a fine sheet of gold, and shaped into a woman’s face, her hands clutching the plaits of hair that frame her features. The neck and foot, now lost, were made of perishable organic material. This object was not for daily use; it was a luxury item, a statement of wealth and refined taste, likely crafted for a ceremony or a high-status table. It is a fragile, exquisite survivor of a lost world of splendour.

Description via source. Coordinates and heritage data from the Atika atlas.